Voltage regulator



Jan. 30, 1962 w. OSBORNE 3,019,368

VOLTAGE REGULATOR Filed March 29, 1956 2 Sheets$heet 1 FIG. I

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l nvc nto r WILL IAM L OSBORNE f Att'vs a Wail Jan. 30, 1962 Filed March 29, 1956 W. L. OSBORNE VOLTAGE REGULATOR 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG. 4

Inventor WILL/AM 1.. OSBORNE Att'ys United States This invention relates to a resistance voltage regulator.

In this specification the term appliance includes a television set.

It is known to protect appliances which are endangered by over-voltage, by placing a conventional resistor in series between the power-line and the appliance, and such a resistor is known in the art as a voltage regulatorit is with such voltage regulators that this invention is concerned.

The resistors at present used, have several disadvantages for such protective use.

First, it is, of course desirable, that a resistor so used should increase in resistance when subjected to an overvoltage, over-current condition to tend to prevent an excess fiow of current. Although an ordinary resistor subjected to an over-voltage is bound to heat when the over-current starts flowing and thus will increase in resistance, such increase in resistance is not great enough to give a good regulating effect.

Secondly, the resistor used is usually more rugged than the parts it is supposed to protect. Thus in case an over-voltage, over-current situation arises, and main tains, the applianceprotected will tend to burn out before the resistor does.

Thirdly the resistor used will usually develop a large amount of heat in an over-voltage, over-current situation, and this heat when radiated or conducted away at ran dom, may cause serious damage to the appliance or to wiring inside or outside such appliance.

This invention, therefore, provides for use as :1 voltage regulator as set out above, one or more electronic tubes having their filaments connected in series with the appliance, to act as resistance voltage regulators.

The filaments of such tubes do, in their general use, reach very high temperatures and thus the temperature co-efficients thereof have a material effect in increasing the resistance of the filaments to damp the current increase in an over-voltage, over-current condition.

The filaments of such tubes are usually designed with a reasonably low safety factor as to current overloads. Thus if a filament is selected wherein the design current rating is X amperes to protect an appliance Whose current limit is or is just above X amperes, then in an overvoltage, over-current condition, the tube filament will be the first to burn out, whereby damage to the appliance is prevented.

Moreover the problem of danger from over-heating in the voltage regulator is diminished, since electronic tubes in general are designed to handle just such heat internally without too rapid escape thereof. Moreover, there is provided a convenient mounting means for the electronic tubes used which allows location of the tubes well away from appliance or wiring if desired.

In the drawings which illustrate embodiments of the invention FIGURE 1 illustrates the tube mounting means, and

FIGURE 2 illustrates a variable resistance voltage regulator circuit in accord with the invention.

FIGURES 3 and 4 illustrate an alternate form of the invention.

Referring first to FIGURE 2 it will be seen that the regulator has a plug for connection to a wall socket anda socket 12 for receiving the plug 14 of (say) a television set.

" 71 atent One lead 16 is connected directly from the plug 10 to the socket 12 and the other lead 18 is connected to a junction 20. Junction 20 is connected by a lead 22 to one end of the filament 24 of an electronic tube 26, and the other end of the filament 24 to a junction 28.

Junction 28 is connected by a lead 36 to one end of a filament 32 of an electronic tube 33, and the other end of the filament 32 to a junction 34.

Junction 34 is connected by a lead 36 to one end of a filament 33 of an electric tube 39, and the other end of the filament is connected to a junction 40. The junction 40 is connected by lead 41 as the second lead to the socket 12.

Junction 20 is also connected to pivot point 42 of a four position switch having switch positions a, b, c, 0. There is no connection to position a; position b is connected to junction 28, position a to junction 34, and position d to junction 49.

Thus it will be seen that in position a, the leads 18-41 are connected through all three filaments 24, 32 and 38; in position b leads 18 41 are connected through the filaments 32 and 38; in position c the leads are connected through the filament 38 only, and in position d no filaments are in the series circuit.

Thus it will be seen that three alternate voltage regulator circuits are provided in which one or more filaments may be connected in series to prevent overload in a television set. The filaments may be chosen so that they will tend to burn out at undesirable current values or at overloads for undesirable lengths of time. paratus may also be used to connect a volt ap pliance to a 210 volt outlet with suificient tubes connected in series to provide the required 110 volt drop therein.

It will be noted that the filaments only of the tubes are used, and that thus the condition of the tubes for normal electronic purposes does not matter as long as the filament is still in good shape. Thus tubes which are useless for other purposes because of short circuits between the leads or because of other defects in the anodeor cathode connections, can be used for this purpose. It also does not matter whether the grid is diode, triode, or pentode and hence the specific embodiment illustrates a circuit using each of these types of tube.

An alternative to the switching means heretobefore described will now be discussed:

Each tube is removably mounted in a socket. The circuits illustrated schematically in FIGURE 4 shows the tube filaments 51 in series. Physically adjacent each tube are switching means 60 adapted to short out the respective tube filament in one position and to leave it in the circuit in the other position. The switching means 60 are biased toward the shorting position.

Each tube is however provided with a member 54 adapted, when the tube is in position, to deflect the switching member, against its bias, break the shorting circuit and therefore to include the tube filament in the circuit.

There is thus provided, a means whereby the required number of filaments may be included in, or excluded from, the circuit without the necessity of any switching means other than that actuated by the insertion or removal of the tubes.

Referring now to FIGURES 3 and 4 a structure is illustrated which avoids the necessity of switching means when altering the number of filaments connected in series in the protective circuit of the regulator. Looking at FIGURE 3, three tube mounting socket members 50 are provide, each of which is rigidly attached inside the cabinet. Each socket member 56) is preferably provided with eight prong-receiving apertures (not shown) so that any conventional radio tube may be received. The centre of the socket member is aper- The ap tured as at 52 to receive the centre insulated plug 54 of a tube 56 for a purpose to be hereinafter described. Each of the prong apertures is extended by defining walls downwardly to become an electrical contact tube 58 projecting below the socket member 50 proper, all the ends of the socket tubes 58 being substantially of the same downward extent.

A shorting member 6b, preferably of a dished shape, is biased toward contact with all such terminal tubes 58 by a compression spring 62 suitably mounted on the base 73 of the cabinet. Projecting upwardly from the centre of the dished member 60 is an insulated stud 64, to project upwardly through the hole 52 in the socket member when the centre plug 54 of the tube is not present therein.

In FIGURES 3 and 4 are shown the connecting leads 61, the plug to the socket tube 58A which corresponds to one of the filament tube terminals of the left hand tube.

Sockets tube 58B which corresponds to the other of the filament tube terminals of the left hand tube is connected to socket tube 58A of the central tube socket by lead 63 and so on with socket tube 58B of the right hand tube circuit is connected by lead 67 to socket 12.

If found advisable the unused socket tubes and tube terminals may be shorted out by connection to one or the other of the terminals 58A or 58B of the respective tube socket assemblies.

In operation, if a tube 56 is inserted in any socket, the centre plug 54 thereof contacts the upward stud 64 thereof breaking the shorting connection between leads (say) 6.1 and 63. However these leads are connected by filament 51 of the tube inserted so the filament is included in the circuit.

Conversely if it is desired to remove this, or another filament 51 from the circuit, then the tube 56 in question may be removed from its socket, allowing the dished member st; to rise until it connects (say) leads 61 and 63.

To avoid confusion it should be pointed out that FIG- URE 4 and FIGURE 3 are not schematic and physical representations of the same state in the device. In FIGURE 3 is shown the device with only one filament connected in the series circuit, that is, with two tubes removed. On the other hand in FIGURE 4 is shown the circuit with three filaments connected in series, which means that in the corresponding physical arrangement, all 3 tubes would be inserted in their sockets.

I claim:

A voltage regulator incorporating: two or more electronic tubes of the type having at the bottom thereof a central, downwardly extending plug surrounded by a set of downwardly extending prongs, two of which act as the filament terminals for the electronic tube; a base supporting thereabove a socket corresponding to each of said electronic tubes having conducting tubes for the reception of prongs therein, means for connecting the conducting tubes of each socket corresponding to the. filament terminal prongs in series with the corresponding conducting tubes of each other socket and with an elec trical line; and a connector normally biased into contact with each pair of said corresponding conducting tubes to electrically short them, actuable by said plug to break the shorting connection.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,972,279 Tarzian Sept. 4, 1934 2,001,498 Meyer et al. May 14, 1935 2,197,426 Delcamp Apr. 16, 1940 2,346,654- Leuthold Apr. 18, 1944 2,756,382 Wuerth July 24, 1956 FOREIGN PATENTS 51,436 France Feb. 16, 1942 

